Automatic air-coupling for railway-cars.



Patented Nov. 5, [90L 0. L. BROWN. AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING FOR RAlLWA-Y CARS.

(Application filed July 2?, 1901;)

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(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 5,1901.

No. 685,8l3.

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AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING FUR RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed July 25, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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Patented Nov. 5, 190:.

0. L. BROWN.

AUTOMATIC AIR COUPLING FOR RAILWAY CABS.

(Application fi1ed July 25, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(no Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR LEE BROWN, OF ELLISVILLE, MISSISSIPPI.

AUTOMATIC AIR-COUPLING FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SBEGZEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,813, dated November 5, 1901.

Application filed July 25, 1901.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR LEE BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ellisville, in the county of Jones and State of Mississippi,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Couplers for Railway-Cars and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an automatic coupling for the air-brake connections of railway-cars.

The object of the invention is to provide an air-brake coupling which is entirely automatic in character, simple of construction, reliable in operation, and designed to wholly obviate the necessity of a railway employee going between the cars to join the coupling members of the air-brake system together.

With this and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan'view of the adjacent ends of two railway-cars, showing the application of the invention thereto, the coupling members being connected. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the coupling connections of the cars detached. 7 Fig. 3 is a detail view of the conical coupling members of a car and their immediate connections; Fig. 4 is a detail section through the couplings of two cars in coupled position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 represent the adjacent ends of two coupled cars; 3,thedrawheads of the cars 4:, the couplings connecting the cars together and carried by said drawheads, and 5 the train-pipes of the air-brake system.

In-carrying my invention into practice I provide upon the under side of each car, at each end thereof, a suitable supporting-frame 6, the parts whereof are suitably connected and braced and also suitably secured to the car, the said frame being located immedi- Serial No. 69,651. (No model.)

ately beneath the draw-head 3 and in rear of the coupling 4. In this frame is slidably mounted an air-conducting pipe 7, which is attached at its outer end to a tubular head or cross-pipe 8 through the medium of a flexible coupling 9, said coupling preferably being in the form of a short section of hose-pipe constituting a universal joint, whereby the tubular head or cross-pipe 8 is adapted to have an up and down as well as a lateral or sidewise swing to compensate for the vertical and lateral motion of the cars. The head 8 carries two cone-shaped coupling members 10 and 11, which are in open communication therewith and are detachably secured thereto in any preferred manner, the coupling 10 having its reduced end connected with the tubular head and its base or widened end outwardly disposed, while the coupling member 11 has its base or wide end connected with said tubular head and its reduced end outwardly disposed, the purpose of this arrangement being to provide for the perfect guid- 1 ance of the coupling members of two cars into interlocking engagement when the cars are brought together. In order to secure an air-tight joint between the opposing coupling members of two cars, I provide the inner and outer surfaces of the coupling members 10 and 11, respectively, with linings 12 and 13,

of rubber or other suitable material,and also provide each coupling member at its base and reduced end or apex with gaskets or washers 14 and 15 of similar material to form cushioned air-tight seats for the opposing coupling members when brought to interlock together. Air from the conducting-pipe 7 enters the tubular head or cross-pipe 8 and is then supplied, as indicated by the arrows, which show the course of the air, to the coupling members 10 and 11, from whence it flows, when the air-brake couplings of a train are connected together, from car to car throughout the length of the train in the usual manner.

The air-conducting pipe 7 is connected at its inner end by means of elbows l6 and 17 and an interposed hose-pipe 18 with the trainpipe 5, the hose-pipe 18 being of such length as to form a flexible connection between the ample longitudinal sliding movement to compensate for the play of the coupling members when such members of two cars are brought together and to allow for the forward motion or projection of said coupling members into coupling position, as indicated by broken At a suitable point in the lines in Fig. 2. pipe 7 is provided a plug or other form of oscillatory valve 20, which controls the flow of air through said pipe, and to the stem of which is connected an operating-lever 21, which is attached to the frame 6 through the instrumentality of a connecting-rod 22, so that when the coupling members are projected forward to the position shown in full lines in Fig, 2 the valve will be closed to cutofi the flow of air and so that when the coupling members on one car are moved back by being coupled with the opposing coupling members on another car the said valve will be opened to allow air to flow through the pipe 7 and connected couplings. V

Mounted upon the frame 6 are two fixed cylinders 23, which are supplied with air from a feed-pipe 24, connected with a pipe 25, attached at its inner end by elbow 26 andT-jgint 27 with the elbow 17 and pipe 5, the pipes 24 and thus forming a by-pass for the supply of air from the train-pipes to the inner ends of said cylinders23. In said cylinders 23 are mounted plungers or pistons 28, each having attached thereto a stem 29, which projects to the exterior through a stuffing-box in the front end of the cylinder 23 and is connected with the tubular head or cross-pipe 8, the points of connection of the said two stems 29 on the said tubular head or cross-pipe 8 being on opposite sides of the center of said head and tion of cushions to take up the jar of impact when the coupling members of the two cars come together and interlock to prevent injury to the parts of the coupling. The air contained in the inner or rear ends of thetwo cylinders also serves the purpose of a cushion to take up the jar of impact of the coupling members; but I find that the use of air and springs in connection with each other is more effective than the use of either alone and is much safer and surer, as in the event of the exhaust of air from either cylinder the spring will take up the jar of impact, and in case of injury to the spring the air will perform this function.

The pipe 25 is provided with a valve 32 for controlling the flow of air therethrough and esasie hold the valve 20 closed, thereby preventing:

the flexible connection 9 of the pipe 7 allows has connected therewith an ordinary form of V hose-coupling 33 for connection with a cor,- i V responding coupling upon a car unprovided with my improved automatic coupling. 7 In operation the coupling members 10 and; 11 are normally held projected to the full-line position shown in Fig. 2 by theaction of the 1 air and springs contained within the cylinders 23. The pipe 7 is also held projected forwardly by the same agency a sufficient disf tance to cause the connections 21 and'22 to the escape of air through the, couplings. When the couplings on the adjacentendsof. sq two cars come together in the act of coup-l ling the said coupling members, the tubular head 8 and the pipe 7 are forced rearwardly' and the springs and air within the cylinders 23 take up the jar of impact, while the in-.I8 ward movement of the pipe 7 causes the valve 20 to be opened to allow air to flow to and through said couplings, thus establishing communication between the train-pipes of the two cars. When the coupling members are 9o disengaged, the action of the compressed air and the springs within the cylinders 23 causes j: the plungers or pistons 28 and their stems to. Q be forced outwardly, whereby the pipe 7 and, coupling device are restored to their normal 5 V 1 position and the valve 20 closed to out 01f the V l flow of air. Leakage of air through the con 1 nected couplings is prevented by the rubber] linings 12 and 13 and the gaskets 1e and 15, .r which form absolutely air-tight joints, while 10 the coupling to play up and down and side 1. wise'to compensate for the oscillation of the cars. 7 V 2 Should it be desired to connect the'train: F; pipe of a car provided with my. improved coupling with the train-pipe of another "car, unprovided therewith, .the hose-coupling. 33, connected with the pipe 17, is coupled up with the corresponding ordinary form of hose-coup ling upon the latter-named carand the valve 2 opened, thus establishing communication; between the train-pipe sectionsupon the cars From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, V the construction, mode of operation, and advantages of the invention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that the said invention provides an air-brake coupling which" is entirely automatic and adapted to operatefxfz' in an effective manner and which entirely ob- Q viates the necessity of a railway employee'goijr ing between or under the ends of two adjae cent cars for the purpose of joining the couplings together, which practice is necessary in 1:3 connecting hose-couplings of the ordinary construction now in general use. r V Changes in the form, proportion, and minor I i details of construction may bemadewithin I j;

the scope of the invention without departing r310 from the spirit or sacrificing any of the ads vantages thereof. 7 l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patout, is-

1. In an automatic air-brake coupling, the combination of a stationary frame, a trainpipe, a conductor-pipe slidable in the frame and flexibly connected with the train-pipe, a tubular transverse coupling-head attached to the coupling-pipe and carrying coupling members, cylinders fixed to the stationary frame, pistons in said cylinders and connected to the coupling-head, springs in said cylinders and acting on the pistons, an air-feed pipe for supplying air from the train-pipe to the cylinders, a valve in the conductor-pipe, and connections between the stationary frame and valve for opening and closing said valve upon the movement of the conductor-pipe in one direction or the other, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic air-brake coupling, the

combination of a train-pipe, a slidable conductor-pipe flexibly connected with the train pipe, a coupling-head attached to the conduc tor-pipe and carrying coupling members, cylinders, pistons in said cylinders and connected to the coupling-head, springs in said cylinders and acting on the pistons, an air-feed pipe for supplying air from-the train-pipe to the cylinders, a valve in the conductor-pipe, means for opening and closing said valve as the conductor-pipe slides in one direction or the other, and an air-pipe for the attachment of an ordinary form of hose-coupling, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

OSCAR LEE BROWN. Witnesses:

B. T. EASTERLING, J. T. BROWN. 

